We’re one step closer to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs standing trial on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. A judge has scheduled a start date of May 5, 2025, CNN reports. The trial is currently expected to take around a month. (Prosecutor Emily Johnson estimated that the prosecution’s case would take three weeks, but noted that the length could change if more charges or defendants are added via a superseding indictment; Marc Agnifilo, an attorney for Combs, said the defense’s case will likely take around a week.) Judge Arun Subramanian also said he will issue an order to stop both sides from making statements about grand jury material and non-public evidence in the case.
Combs, who has pleaded not guilty, reportedly wore tan prison clothing and silver ankle shackles to the October 10 hearing in Manhattan where his trial date was decided. According to ABC News, the music mogul hugged his attorneys and waved at family members as he walked into the courtroom. Reuters reported that he also blew kisses at his family after the hearing. His mother — who has decried what she calls the “public lynching†of her son — was reportedly in attendance, along with all six of Combs’s children. “The kids were very happy to support their father,†a source close to the Combs family told People. “The whole family was. They are united in their support and he was happy to see them all there.†Combs has been behind bars since he was arrested in September. So far, he’s been denied bail two times.